OMNIBUS CONTROL.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 18, 22 January 1926, Page 8

OMNIBUS CONTROL.

• MAMUKAU COUNCIL'S DISCUSSION. SEVERAL CLAUSES OBJECTED TO. TRANSPORT COXTROT, BOARD UROKD. Tμ accordance -\\ illl instructions issued liy the Manukau County Council, the county engineer (Mr. -T. T?. and the clerk i Mr. K. Ashcroft), submitted a report on the proposed regulations for control of omnibuses. This was discussed at a special meeting oi the council, lipid to-day.

Jn his preliminary remarks the engineer said a great deal in connection with the regulations was ordinary machinery matter to which no exception could be made. There were some clauses, however, to which objection could lip taken, and those had been dealt with in detail.

The chairman (Mr. F. M. Waters), 6aid tliat in the very near future the ■whole matter would have, to be the subject of grave consideration. There were so many regulations of all descriptions regarding the issuing of licenses of all kinds and transport generally, that a properly constituted board would have to be formed to deal with all matters of transit and transport. There was no doubt, in his mind, that such a state of'aft'airs should be brought about immediately.

Mr. Page said that after deliberation lie and the clerk had decided that certain recommendations, as submitted, should be made. In malting them, ■however, the engineer and clerk had in view the importance of motor omnibus transport as n Meeting residents of •various parts of the county.

In regard to licenses as stipulated by Clause 3, sub-clause 7, it is provided, inter p.lia, in connection with applications '"that the licensing authority shall consider the provision already existing for the transport of passengers to places on or near proposed routes," etc.

It was recommended that this clause should be deleted, or amended in such a manner as would ensure its not being used in the direction of granting monopolies. ''For instance," said Mr. Page, "a licensing authority might say there is a bus already running on a particular route and another could not operate. It does not seem a fair thing to give this jower to any licensing authority."

Concerning Insurance. Concerning insurance the proposed minimum cover of £300 per passenger should be reduced as being unnecessarily ihigh in view of probable or possible claims in ordinary practice. Premiums voiikl constitute a prohibitive tax. Subclause 3 provides that the regulation with respect to insurance "shall not apply to a local authority." It was recommended that this clause should be deleted as it would appear likely to give corporations an unfair advantage over private concerns.

Bus and Tram Fares. Concerning t!io proposed regulation regarding lnis and tram fares, it was stated that tins would appear unfair to omnibus owners and would have the effect of restricting omnibuses from picking up passengers at intermediate points on any tram-route. It was rwoinmended that this clause should be

amended to provide that bus fares and tram-fares should be equal over any section or sections of tram-routes.

It was contended that this clause might be read as indicating exemption from the whole of the regulations which would be obviously unfair to private r.'oiicerns.

A suggestion was made that all use oi omnibuses, private or public, should be subject to the regulations.

During the discussion the chairman expressed the opinion that the report, as submitted by the engineer und clerk, should be adopted and sent on to the Public Works Department as a record of the Manukau County Council's objections. In moving in the direction indicated, Mr. Waters also made provision for a recommendation to be sent forward stating that the Government should appoint a Traffic Control Board to control all classes of transport traffic, together with the issuing of licenses.

The motion, which was seconded by Mr. £>. W. House, representing the Mangere Riding, was carried uanimously.